Canal cruise company soldiers on

We reported the other day that the Erie Canal is closed to traffic between Waterford and Utica, which prompted an e-mail to me from Jerry Gertz of Erie Canal Cruises. While damaged locks have forced closures, he said his company is still offering tours through locks 17 and 18.

“So we are open. They realize we’re important to tourism up here and they’ve made that distinction. It’s a little bit of a hidden thing,” Gertz said. “It’s a great time. We get about 12,000 passengers a year, but we’re dying here because the media has us shut down. We’re very sparce – it’s down to about 15 people from a normal 50 or 60.”